Tales from the Nug Dung Heap
by Paper Plane Brigade
Summary: A series of vignettes focusing on the Brosca Warden. Sometimes there are new battles, sometimes I delve into the relationships a bit more, and sometimes i just want fluff for no reason. All in all, this is how Brosca went from being less than nothing to the Hero of Ferelden.
1. Five Coins to Barter

**A/N:** Dwarf Commoner is my favorite origin and it always will be, so I was shocked to find out that pm all my friends that have played DA:O have never played that origin. I mean I don't blame them; most people I know either go for Human Noble, City Elf, or either Circle Mage and the dwarves they encounter all suck (except Sandal, Bodahn, Oghren, and Dagna of course). I just love how the casteless dwarf, for me, is the ultimate underdog; rising up from less than nothing to becoming the beloved Hero of Ferelden. Boom. So I'm hoping that this will just be the first of a series of vignettes revolving around my f!Brosca, Kasha, but knowing how my muse comes and goes, I can't be sure. So this is all for now; I hope you enjoy, and reviews are greatly appreciated :3

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Kasha Brosca had found it hard to sleep in the piece of nug droppings she had for a bed for years; she figured she should be used to its lack of comfort by now, but alas. However, that was only part of the problem; this tended to be the only time of day that she really thought about things. Her situation, what she might have to do for Beraht tomorrow, whether her sister was under someone or on her way home, sometimes even where her bastard father was, just so she'd have a setting to envision him hopefully more miserable than she was. Sometimes she thought about her mother, but if she really cared, she could peek in the other room to see her drunken silhouette slumped at the table like it was every night – she couldn't even make it to her "bed" anymore. Unfortunately, that was just the average quality of life for a duster.

With an irritated groan, she slapped her hands down on the ratty old sheet that barely covered her body. On top of her thoughts and the discomfort the bed caused her, she was clothed in the tight, remarkably dirty cloth "dress" Rica had passed down to her once Beraht started paying for nicer dresses. Kasha was grateful to have something else to wear other than the cheap leather _skirt_ (how impractical was that) that chafed in places she wasn't aware could chafe, but the dress was tight (it had taken her awhile to grow into length-wise, but she had always been chubbier than her sister) and itchy. Using it as a nightgown wasn't her wisest decision, but after one too many instances of Rica coming home in the middle of the night only to come face to face with her younger sister's bare ass up in the air and the sheet on the floor, this was a necessity. As nice as it was to sleep nude, especially when the house grew stuffy, the risk of putting Rica through that a fourth time wasn't worth it.

Speaking of Rica, the front door slowly and painfully creaked open – her supposed way of being "quiet" in the late evening. Kasha just barely heard the light padding of Rica's feet as she tried to maneuver around all the obstacles in the main room and their slumbering mother in the dark. With a huff, Kasha kicked off the sheet. "Don't bother, I'm up."

"What _are_ you still doing up?" Rica called back, her voice uncharacteristically exasperated, as she opened the door and stepped inside.

"You don't think I can sleep on that piece of shit, do you?" She scoffed and stood, stretching her arms over her head and wincing at the audible crack in her back. "Didn't work out with...uh...what's-his-name, huh?"

Rica put on a slight smile, barely visible in the darkness. "It doesn't matter, don't worry about it."

Kasha scrunched her nose up at that. "Does too. I will too. You tried to hide all this stuff from me once but I still found out."

"You shouldn't have to know about it." Rica clasped and unclasped her hands, looking anywhere but at her sister.

"Whatever innocence I had was gone the moment I started working for Beraht. No, screw that, it was gone the moment I was branded. She slapped her branded cheek for emphasis. "Do you think I can't handle it?"

Rica gave her a concerned look. "The first time you found out, you marched into Tapster's and stabbed holes in the beer keg with your daggers."

"Yeah, well... there's nothing here to stab. Anymore. And it's not like they banned me for it. Don't change the subject. Yeah, it pisses me off, but that doesn't mean you should hide this from me. I stabbed it because I _care_. A lot."

Rica reached her arm out and felt around for Kasha's hand, then grapsed it firmly. "I know you do, Kash. I wanna keep you out of this because _I_ care. I mean... is it so bad that I want to keep you as innocent as I possibly can, while I still can?"

Well if that wasn't a punch to her resolve. She swallowed hard. "It's a little too late to start really taking care of me, don't you think?"

Rica gaped. "That isn't fair."

Kasha ripped her hand away. "You know what isn't fair? Being treated like the damn _Blight_ because we were born, and to parents who only make it worse. How you let that get you down all this time, and how spent most of your life and mine feeling sorry for yourself and letting man after man use you and toss you around! It would have been nice if you took me into consideration at some point!"

"So, what?! My only responsibility should have been taking care of _you_?! Talk about feeling sorry for yourself, little sister. I whore myself out because it's the only way I can help us out, and I get sad because that's how I cope. Do you know how damn hard I worked to convince Beraht you would be more useful to him as hired muscle? So fine, I _apologize_ for not changing every makeshift diaper and not feeding you every damn time you were hungry. I'm sorry for letting you learn how to take care of yourself and not turn out like me." She let out a sob. "But I _am_ really sorry that you've become so selfish."

Kasha felt the tears well up, but she couldn't cry, not ever. She would instinctively ready herself for a beating if she did. "Oh, there is a fine line between whoring yourself out for necessity and being a whore just for the pleasure. You were a whore long before you were a noble-hunter." Rica was openly (and loudly) crying now, and Kasha felt like she was just kicked in the stomach by a bronto. "Okay, Rica, I'm sorry for that. But... dammit, do you know how much I've taken care of you? How many times I've dragged you home from Tapster's as drunk as mother and put you to bed? How many angry, sleazy men I've fought off for you? How I did a crappy job of trying to patch you up after some guy beat you? And fine, thanks for making me all independent, but it would have been nice to have more help!"

She had to stop to take a breath. She could power through a fight, no problem, but any argument she had drained her energy quick. "And you know what, how dare you call me out for being selfish, as if you're not! People – no, we're not even people, I _forgot_ – things like us have to be to survive. If we don't take all we can get for ourselves, then we get _nothing_."

"You don't really believe that, do you? You give coppers to the people outside who don't have roofs over their heads."

"So what? One copper isn't going to get them anything. Besides, what are your plans if you give birth to a nobleman's son, huh? Are you going to rise up alone?"

"I'm taking mother, I'm not going to abandon her even if she is a drunken bitch." Kasha waited for her to finish.

"But not me, right?"

"By then, I won't have to."

"What is that supposed to mean?!" She pulled at her hair.

Rica breathed in sharply and dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her dress. "You aren't meant to wear fancy clothes, sit around, and practice bad politics. You're meant to fight."

"Oh yeah? Where? How? I'm not even good enough to die in the Deep Roads. I'm barely good enough to kill and steal from people for Beraht."

"Don't ever say that. Forget what mother says; unlike me, you were born with five coins to barter. Your hands, legs, and your mind. You...you could join the Legion of the Dead! They take anyone!

"And be considered _dead_? I don't need a brain to do that, Rica. That's worse than being lower than filth. I... I don't _want_ to be dead to these damn nug-humpers. I want them to know I'm alive, loud and clear. I want them to know my name. By the stone, I want them to feel _sorry_ they ever treated me like such shit. And when they're begging for forgiveness, or at least being nicer, I can tell them to kiss my lowly duster _ass_."

Things were silent and tense between them for a few moments, except of course for their breathing and their mother's obnoxious snoring from the other room. Then, very quietly, Kasha cleared her throat. "Things can't be this bad topside, can they?"

"... Is that even an option for you? I've heard of other people going to the surface and being stripped of their caste, but-"

"Then I've got nothing to lose, right?" She started laughing, an unhinged, hollow sound. "Who am I kidding? I don't know how to leave, I'll never know how. It's... it's easier staying here."

"Does it scare you?"

Silence again. "Yeah." Her voice was the closest it had been to tears in a long time. Without waiting for a cue from Rica, she went right in and hugged her tight. It only took a second for Rica to return it almost as hard. "I want more, Rica. I want to be able to make more happen."

"We all do, Kasha. At least your goals are bigger than everyone elses' in this slum. You've always been so much smarter than everyone here."

Kasha chuckled. "Nah, I'm not. I'm good at faking it; you're the one who taught me all those fancy words. If I was smart, I'd be out of here already."

"That's not what I meant." Rica pulled away so she could hold her little sister's hands at arms' length and look her right in the eyes. "You will. If there's anyone here who will, it's you."

"Hey, don't go giving me an ego, sis."

"Give you an ego? Ancestors forbid I give you _more_ of an ego."

They lapsed into light-hearted banter as Rica readied herself for bed. It was rare for them to have time like these; their relationship was somewhat strained at best, especially lately, but Rica _was_ capable of being there for Kasha, despite what she thought otherwise. But Rica had always been right about the younger Brosca being destined for greatness, because just the next day, Duncan arrived for the provings. And Kasha would finally rise from the nug dung heap.


	2. Stuck to The Skin

**A/N:** Decided to turn it into a series! Since these are going to be stand-alone one-shots, there's no need to go back and read previous chapters unless you want to. But yeah, Brosca is in need of more fandom love, and since this is the only way I know how, so let it be. Also just a warning; my character suffers from a brief panic attack during this, so if that will in any way trigger you or make you uncomfortable, please turn back now. Anyways, enjoy!

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Kasha didn't know where in Orzammar she was anymore, and frankly, she didn't care. Long gone already were the trappings of dwarven society and Dust Town – at least for now. She was exiled forever, and it had been the best thing to ever happen to her. Perhaps Rica's welfare should have been on her mind now that her benefactor was dead (highborn and seemingly well-intentioned as they seemed, Kasha trusted no one that had and would sleep with her sister), or Leske's now that the blood of the Carta boss was on his hands as well. But they were far from her mind so soon after leaving, as the prospect of being far from her "home" was exciting her more than she thought possible.

Where she currently was was dark; that's all she could really say about the place – she couldn't see much, plus she never had a very expansive vocabulary. She could make out the man traveling beside her, however – Duncan, the Grey Warden who had come to watch the Provings, and most importantly, saved her hide from a slow death. That wasn't even what she truly revered him for.

"_My name is Duncan. I'd say 'of the Grey Wardens,' but I suspect you already know that. Pleased to meet you."_

"_I'm Kasha. Of... of nobody."_

"_Ah... of course. That's what the face-brand means, then. I remember that now."_

"_So what? Now you have to stop talking to me?"_

"_I never turn down the chance to meet someone new. When we visit Orzammar, we tend to remain in the Diamond Quarter. You forget how much of the city you miss."_

"_Is it true you're here looking for recruits?"_

"_The Wardens are always looking for those who have the courage to spend their lives in battle fighting darkspawn. It's rare we find those with both the skill and the will. The best Wardens are ruthless to their enemies, compassionate to their friends, and inspiring to their troops. It's a lot to look for, but I hope to find it here. And I hope you may also find what you are looking for."_

It was a short conversation, but no one had been kinder to Kasha. Not only had he looked past the brand on her face, it meant absolutely nothing to him. He recognized her skill in vanquishing her every opponent in the Provings and believed she should have been treated as a champion instead of a criminal guilty of the highest offense. And now he was taking her away from the depths of her hell and to where she was meant to be – _fighting. _If the only way she could repay him was to lose a limb or lay down her life in order to protect him, she would. She was still expendable; nothing could change that. But he had enough faith in her that she felt she would be considered noble for it.

She couldn't gauge how long they had been walking, but it didn't feel like it had been too long, despite the silence. She couldn't help but grow anxious after a while – firstly because she really needed to stop and adjust her armor before it could rub her skin too raw, second because she wanted to be out of the damn... well, wherever the hell they were now. She would have asked Duncan about their location, but a part of her feared that such a "stupid" question would trigger him to treat her just as terribly as everyone else. Hell, she feared that anything she said would be shot down, which was why she refused to initiate any conversation, despite how intensely the dozens of questions she wanted to ask fought to to knock her teeth out and spill from her mouth. He might have even told her what she wanted to know, but she was so wrapped up in her worries that she hadn't heard him speak.

After a few minutes, they passed through a pair of towering doors and were in a large hall lined with giant stone sculptures of dwarves. It didn't take long for Duncan to notice how confused Kasha was by everything.

"This is the Hall of Heroes. Every Paragon of your people is immortalized here. You know about them, I presume?"

She looked down. "I do." She dug her boot into the ground. "My, uh, my sister sometimes says that I should become one. As if I could."

"On the contrary, one of the most renown Paragons and a former king, Gherlon the Blood-Risen, was born casteless. Even if that isn't what you become, Grey Wardens are fighters of great skill and integrity, and are revered in many places; you have already achieved a greatness that most in your station do not receive." Duncan's voice held so much wisdom, and while authoritative, had a strangely calming effect on her. It didn't alleviate all her insecurities, but she felt less worthless for the moment.

"You-" She had to clear her throat. "I..." She was trying too hard to sound more intelligent than she was. "I really like that you have faith in me. It's nice, for once.

A hint of a smirk appeared on his face. "I am merely acknowledging your potential; if you fight the darkspawn with the finesse you did in the Provings, then you are are most valuable addition to our ranks. Besides, if I hadn't conscripted you, you would have been tortured to death, and what good would that do anyone?"

She had no idea what "conscript" meant – she assumed it had something to do with saving her life – but she still smiled slightly and chuckled all the same. As they made their way through the hall, the guards and a few people playing their respects whispered amongst each other – both in reverence at the presence of a Grey Warden and disgust over letting a brand pass through and pollute such a sacred place. Kasha drew into herself and walked a little closer to Duncan, willing herself to just instantly be outside where the torment could finally be _over_. Instead, the room seemed to grow smaller with every step she took, the doors seemed to stretch farther away, and the whispers grew louder and angrier. Her legs became stone, and she had to stop to bend over, attempting to catch her breath despite her lungs suddenly weighing fifty pounds each. Did the Stone really reject her so much that this was the Ancestors punishing her for deigning to step foot somewhere so holy? To think that she could ever escape from being a _filthy brand_?

Duncan hovered over her. "Are you alright?"

She breathed in sharply and shut her eyes tight, trying to banish all the malicious and intrusive visions of her sinking deep into the Stone while everyone else looked on and sneered. She had several episodes like this before, the last being when she found out what Rica had been doing for Beraht; unfortunately, she had no kegs to stab this time. She ground her teeth and forced herself to stand back up. "Sorry." She muttered, shaking her head feverishly. "I'm sorry. Let's go." She took off in a near sprint to the doors, but was stopped by the gruff-looking guard until Duncan caught up with her.

"I hope you enjoyed the Provings, Warden Commander Duncan." He looked right over Kasha to grumble that out. Somehow, that made her feel even worse.

Duncan bowed his head to the guard as the doors opened... only to reveal another set of impossibly large stone doors. It wasn't until the ones behind them closed completely that these opened slowly, almost painfully so. Kasha quickly learned why as the dull light from the cloudy mountain sky, still brighter than she had ever seen, caused her to pull her forearm over her eyes and cower slightly. It took her a minute, but when she finally felt confident enough to uncover her sight, she took one look up and gaped, instinctively gripping Duncan's arm for support. She hurriedly let him go once she realized what she was going, but not without earning an almost bemused look from him. She checked that her feet were still on the ground, but after that, she couldn't take her eyes off the sky as they descended the steps.

"Leske wasn't kidding, it sure is bright." She squinted and scrunched her nose up. "Is that the... uh, what's it called? The sun?"

"I'm afraid you won't see the sun until we get out of the mountains." Duncan took a moment to examine the sky himself.

"I heard Carta boys talk about running errands up topside..." She looked around at all the trees and snow that peppered their leaves and the ground. "They said it was open and smelled all weird, sure, but they never said it was so..." She struggled to find something she knew that was sufficient; "pretty" didn't feel like enough. She could breathe again, the air filling her lungs almost sickeningly fresh. She didn't know what the funny smell was or where it came from, but it was better than dust, shit, and lava. It was still brighter than she was comfortable with, but Orzammar was surrounded by stone at every turned and so terribly dark. Dark... yeah; a Blight on her memory. "So much _better_."

She was overtaken by a sudden wave of confidence, and feeling she _really_ had nothing to lose, she spun back towards the doors. "Buncha nug-humpers!" She yelled, earning an extremely furious glare from the guard outside, but she just waved at him with a fake smile on her face.

"Kasha, it would be in your best interests not to aggravate your people." His voice was commanding, but from the ways the corner of his eyes crinkled, she could tell he was amuse. Or exasperated; actually, that was probably what it was.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to do something like that. And I finally won't get guff for it... Still, sorry." She shivered; damn, it was was cold out here too. Now she had something else her cheap armor wouldn't protect her from. "How long until we get to the place?"

"It's a few days' journey to Ostagar from here. We had best be on our way if we want to make the assault _ahead_ of the darkspawn."

The prospect of spending such a long time _walking_ to their destination wasn't a comforting thought. But she would get to see the country, the people, and mostly importantly, she would be in great company. It was bound to the most and rewarding exciting journey of her life.

"Lead the way, _salroka_."


	3. Loaf For Your Thoughts?

There was nothing that Kasha couldn't get through without bread. It was all, sometimes even more, than she could afford to eat. But it was enough; somehow, no matter the size of the piece she consumed, she felt satisfied after every "meal" and didn't go hungry until the following day. She also ate bread for comfort. She'd scrounge up the quarter pieces she hid under her bed, often stale, after being beaten by Kalah, after getting into a fight with Rica, after having to carry out a particularly dastardly job for Beraht; it was the security blanket she never had. It being practically the only thing she consumed, she was chubbier than the other dwarves in Dust Town despite her exercise. Not that she cared; she needed all the insulation she could get.

However, if she ended up having to go back to Orzammar after all this Grey Warden business was over (she had yet to fully grasp the concept that she was a part of the order forever and was never going back), she didn't know how she would survive down there now. She had been spoiled; she was currently feasting on a whole _loaf_ of bread so fresh, so fluffy, and so tasty that she doubted she would be able to get past the diminished taste and dastardly quality of the only bread casteless could afford. Duncan had procured the loaf for her for a surprising pittance, making him even more of a hero to her. He had no qualms about giving all the bread to her; they were currently taking a detour at the inn on the Lake Calenhad dock so he could have a bowl of soup.

They didn't speak while they ate, and after a few minutes of silence Kasha grew antsy. Not exactly fond of the idea of striking up a conversation with anyone else inside the establishment – not even the red-headed dwarf waitress who reminded her of Rica – she decided to go outside. They had been travelling through Ferelden for nearly the whole day, right under the bright, open sky, but the sight of it still filled her with dread. She needed to condition herself, and what better time to do it when they weren't moving?

She cautiously stepped out of the inn, keeping her hands on the door frame. She hadn't been under a rood since she left Orzammar; who was to say she wouldn't be the most prone to falling up in the sky right after being under a ceiling?

The sky was different from bright blue of the daytime; it was dark now, speckled with bright spots of light. In the distance was a large white orb with a yellow tinge, arching over a foreboding black spire on the lake. The sun hadn't looked like that when they finally came down from the Frostback Mountains (although she couldn't say what the sun looked like anyway, as one glance at it had all but blinded her for a good few moments). Did it change as the sky did as the hours went by? Hesitantly, she tore herself away from the doorway, walked forward a few steps, and lowered herself onto the grass, taking a big bite of her bread and forcing herself to look up. An hour or so went by before she heard footsteps.

"Ready to continue, I see?" said Duncan as he came to stand next to her.

She shrugged slightly. "I, um... the guys who'd been here didn't really say what it was really like." She took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. "It's kinda surprising. They made it sound like it was bright all the time. And that the sun always blinded ya."

He chuckled. "It's nighttime now. The moon rises as the sun falls, and it won't rise again until morning."

"Oh. I know about morning. The sky at night, right now, kinda reminds me of ho- Orzammar and being deep underground and all. But I like those little lights; are they little bits of the day sky poking through? They're pretty."

"Those are stars."

"That word has a nice sound to it. _Star_." She smirked, then motioned to the spire. "Is that part of the sky?"

"Ah, that's the Circle Tower of Ferelden, where mages live and practice their magical talents." He had a far-off look on his face, as if remembering an experience there. "It's built on the lake." He motioned to the small island on the water that served as the foundation for the structure.

"You don't hear much about magic down where I was, unless someone needed lyrium or runes for something illegal topside." She focused on the reflection of the sky on the water for a moment, but even though the sight was rather fascinating, she preferred to focus her attention on him. "I don't think I've thanked you enough for what you did for me. I mean, you saved me from getting tortured and all, but you took me far away from Dust Town, farther than I thought I'd ever get to go, and I'm getting to do more than just a crime lord's dirty work because you believe I can, and I just... _thank you_." She had torn the bread into several little pieces in a fit of emotion.

He simply smiled in response. "My pleasure."

She shook herself; feelings were never easy to express. "So where do you come from, Duncan?"

He looked almost surprised by the question. "I was born in Highever, but I lived a good part of my life in Orlais. As a thief, in fact."

Kasha blinked repeatedly. "The only part I understood was you being a thief. … Actually, no, I don't even understand that. You, a thief? Really? You don't seem like the kind."

"Oh? And what do I seem like instead?"

"I dunno. You're so... calm and wise. You're like a guard, but you're not an ass. No, you're like one of the Shapers. Maybe... you've got a pretty solid... moral..." She grit her teeth. "You just seem like a better class of people than a guy who steals." Dust Town came to mind before she could stop it.

"People evolve. I thought there was no other way I could survive after the death of my parents, at the time." He gave her a knowing look, and she fidgeted uncomfortably. "But it led to me joining the Grey Wardens – if somewhat inadvertently."

"That sucks. About your parents, I mean." She stopped herself from saying anything more. _In a way, I have no parents. There was no other way I could survive myself._ "So what'd ya do? Win a knife-fight? Save a princess?"

"Actually, I was conscripted myself. I broke into a hotel room to rob it and I... unintentionally killed the occupant. A Grey Warden, in fact. The morning of my execution, the Warden-Commander of Orlais conscripted me."

Kasha couldn't speak, and looked back at the water as a lump formed in her throat. They weren't exactly the same, of course not, but she couldn't deny the similarities in his background and how they struck her. It gave her even more hope that she could achieve some level of greatness if Duncan had managed to. "I didn't think I could have any more respect for you." She rubbed her uncovered thighs and chuckled. "I mean, that sounds bad and all, but by the Stone, that's where you came from and look at you now."

"Oh that's not all it took, I assure you. There's far more to the story – another time, perhaps. We should really be on our way while there's still a chance we can reach the halfway point by tomorrow night."

_Only halfway? _And she thought the few parts of Orzammar she had seen were huge. "Ahh... okay. Couldn't you tell me more on the way?"

"There is still a lot I have yet to tell you about our order and the upcoming battle that takes precedence. But if we find the time... yes."

Kasha grinned. "Are you sure you've never seen a dwarf fall into the sky? Never heard any stories about it?"

He chuckled again – it was nice that he found humor in her concern, she supposed. "If there is one thing I can promise you about our journey and the coming battle, it is that you will not fall into the sky."

"Okay. Good. S'all I needed to know." She hoisted herself up, letting the remaining bread crumbs (she didn't even remember finishing the loaf) fall off the skirt of her armor and into the grass. "I just... one more question. Were your parents good people?"

It took him a few seconds to consider his response. "From what I remember, yes."

She nodded. "Sometimes I wonder if just mine were bad or if that's just how parents are. Good to know. Okay, I'm ready, let's go."

Unfortunately, she would forever be left wondering what Duncan was going to tell her about his past; but she knew that it would have been an extraordinary story.


End file.
